Scrutiny Committee 29 June 2017
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HAMBLETON DISTRICT COUNCIL Report To: Scrutiny Committee 29 June 2017 Subject: ANNUAL REVIEW 2016/17 – HAMBLETON HIGHLIGHTS All Wards 1.0 PURPOSE AND BACKGROUND 1.1 The purpose of this report is to provide a review of Hambleton District Council’s performance and achievements during the 2016/17 year. 1.2 Attached at Annex A is the Annual Review 2016/17 – Hambleton Highlights – which focuses on the successful progress that has been made against the Council’s key priorities and shows the authority continues to strive to deliver its aims for the community. 1.3 The Annual Review provides information across the four priority areas throughout the year, an indication for the year ahead and finishes with a snapshot of performance statistics. The four priority areas are: . Driving Economic Vitality . Enhancing Health and Wellbeing . Caring for the Environment . Providing a Special Place to Live 2.0 LINK TO COUNCIL PRIORITIES: 2.1 This report demonstrates the monitoring of performance against the Council Plan key priorities for the year 2016/17 and provides an overview of Hambleton District Council performance to deliver local outcomes. 3.0 RECOMMENDATION: 3.1 It is recommended that Scrutiny note the Annual Review report for 2016/17 performance to deliver services to the community. LOUISE BRANFORD-WHITE DIRECTOR OF FINANCE (S151 OFFICER) Background papers: Hambleton District Council (HDC) Plan 2015-19 HDC Economic Strategy 2014-24 HDC press / media releases / website HDC Quarterly Scrutiny Performance Reports HDC Business Roundup 2016/17 HDC Council Talk 2016/17 Equality & Human Rights Commission Gov.uk HDC Insight 2016/17 Local Government Association (LGA) HDC Parish Updates 2016/17 North Yorkshire Economic Monitor Rural Services Network Author ref: PAC Contact: Louise Branford-White – Director of Finance (s151 officer) Direct Line No: (01609) 767024 Pam Channer – Performance & Improvement Officer Direct Line No: (01609) 767034 Annex Hambleton Highlights Annual Review 2016 - 17 i Contents Welcome to Hambleton .............................................................................. 1 Where we live ......................................................................................................................... 2 Who we are.............................................................................................................................. 3 Rural challenges ..................................................................................................................... 4 Connectivity ............................................................................................................................ 4 What we do ............................................................................................................................. 5 Financial Sustainability ............................................................................... 6 Driving Economic Vitality ............................................................................ 8 Economic Development ........................................................................................................ 8 Business Support................................................................................................................... 11 Vibrant Market Towns ........................................................................................................... 14 Enhancing Health and Wellbeing ............................................................... 16 Leisure Centres ....................................................................................................................... 16 Community Leisure ................................................................................................................ 19 Mental Health ......................................................................................................................... 24 Grants and Funding................................................................................................................ 25 Caring for the Environment ........................................................................ 28 Waste Services ........................................................................................................................ 28 Environmental Health ........................................................................................................... 33 A Special Place to Live ................................................................................. 38 Housing .................................................................................................................................... 38 Safer Hambleton .................................................................................................................... 45 Benefit Fraud .......................................................................................................................... 47 Working for the Community ....................................................................... 48 The Hambleton Year Ahead 2017/18 ......................................................... 53 Performance in Numbers ............................................................................ 55 ii Welcome to Hambleton Hambleton District Each year we publish Council exists to serve Hambleton Highlights the needs of those living, as a snapshot of working in or visiting this the Council’s key very special area. achievements and developing projects The motto on the through the year. council’s Coat of Arms is ‘United in Progress’ Whist our Council Plan which accurately captures our vision of looks forward to the aims and priorities for working for the community by working with the community, Hambleton Highlights takes a the community. We firmly believe that only look back at how we did and what we got up by listening to our residents and working to in the past year. together can we deliver the type and quality A major talking point in 2016/17 is the of services needed, helping communities to exciting new re-development of the former help themselves with the resources we have prison in Northallerton, one of the most available. important economic investment projects the In this way, we believe we are better able Council has ever undertaken. Then there’s the to turn the unique challenges we face new green waste programme as we continue into employment opportunities, tourism to drive up recycling rates for a more efficient opportunities, leisure opportunities and and environmentally friendly waste collection economic opportunities - that will ensure this service. beautiful district continues to prosper. And who can forget the incredible Tour de Yorkshire that came back to our district for a second year, bringing world class sport and a host of legacy events to our doorstep. Please take this opportunity to look back at some of the work the council has Councillor Mark Robson been involved in on your behalf, to both Leader of Hambleton District Council deliver essential services and to help our communities flourish. Dr Justin Ives Chief Executive Officer 1 Where we live Hambleton is a region of contrast, from affluent Last year we reported that Hambleton ranked market towns to remote villages, a picturesque 18th in the annual Halifax Quality of Life rural area framed to the east by the North survey of local authority districts where living Yorkshire Moors and the Howardian Hills, standards are highest. stretching from the urban conurbations of the Tees Valley in the north to the outskirts of York in the south. Extensive open and undeveloped The fantastic news is that spaces provide large tracts of tranquil the latest survey published countryside, home to an agricultural heritage of in January 2017 ranked arable farming and livestock grazing. Hambletonth Great Ayton 5 Stokesley The survey tracks living standards across Northallerton a wide range of indicators such as life expectancy, earnings, housing, environment, education, broadband access, crime rates, Bedale Thirsk average sunshine hours and rainfall, health, personal well-being and - for the first time this year - the number of pubs and leisure centres. Easingwold Winchester in Hampshire leads the table with only the Orkney Islands, Wychavon in the West Midlands and the Derbyshire Dales between us. Hambleton scored highly in the personal well-being survey as well and, at 87.7%, has one of the highest employment rates. Once again this proves - as if we needed reminding - that we live and work in one of Contains Ordnance Survey data © Crown copyright and database right 2015 the country’s loveliest places. 2 5 Hambleton 2 Orkney Islands 3 Wychavon 4 Derbyshire Dales 9 Wokingham 6 South Cambridgeshire 1 Winchester 8 St Albans 7 Purbeck 10 Chiltern Who we are We have a diverse population enjoying a good quality of life in Hambleton which is reflected in the demographic profile with a high percentage of older people who are active, healthy and relatively wealthy retirees, many of whom are mortgage free. Hambleton is an area of low unemployment and demand for housing is high. The district is also attractive to families wanting to live in the countryside but work in the main market towns or further afield in York, West Yorkshire and the Tees Valley, all of which are within an easy commute by road or rail. There is net internal migration to predominantly rural areas like Hambleton as residents move between local authorities to live in the countryside. This applies across all age bands except for 17 to 20 year olds when